The following items were taken from police and court reports and news releases. An arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt.
Burbank
RECKLESS DISCHARGE: Officers responding to early July 5 complaints from neighbors about gunfire coming from the backyard of a single-family home in the 5100 block of 80th Place recovered seven spent shells and a live bullet, police said. Officers subsequently learned Airbnb guests had subleased the house, which was unoccupied at the time of the investigation, police said.
AGGRAVATED BATTERY: An unidentified man wielding a folding knife cut another man’s hand July 8 in a restaurant parking lot in the 4200 block of 79th Street and then fled, police said.
GAMBLING BURGLARIES: Four masked males supported by a lookout and a getaway driver early July 7 used sledge hammers and pry bars to break into May’s Lounge, 4835 79th St., and Honey’s Cafe, 8546 Cicero Ave., smashing video gambling machines and removing cash boxes, police said. More than $4,500 was reported taken from three damaged machines at May’s and an unknown amount taken from four damaged machines at Honey’s, police said.
HOUSE CRASH: Nicor contained a gas leak July 17 in the 8100 block of Mason Avenue after a vehicle collided with a house, police said. The driver fled the scene but was later apprehended, police said.
Chicago Heights
GUN POSSESSION: Benjamin Sanchez, 22, 200 block of West 16th Place, Chicago Heights, was arrested July 13 during a stop in the 200 block of West 14th Place and subsequently charged with unlawful possession of a weapon after organized crime division investigators recovered a loaded 9 mm pistol and loaded magazine and determined he lacked the necessary gun permits, Cook County sheriff’s police said.
Evergreen Park
AGGRAVATED FLEEING: A Bloomingdale man wanted by Hometown police for aggravated fleeing was arrested July 4 in the 7900 block of south Francisco Avenue in Chicago, police said. Adrian D. Hall, 37, subsequently received a second aggravated fleeing charge in connection with departing a stop in the 3200 block of 95th Street, police said.
STORE BURGLARY: Officers investigating a 12-by-12 foot hole in a windowed wall July 4 at JD Sports in the Evergreen Plaza shopping center found an SUV reported stolen from Dolton inside the store, police said. Early morning surveillance video shows five males entering and exiting with merchandise, police said.
Lockport Township
AGGRAVATED BATTERY: Kristopher A. Barkauskas, 28, 400 block of Connor Avenue, unincorporated Lockport Township, was arrested July 11 in that block and subsequently charged with aggravated battery/pregnant victim, sheriff’s police said.
New Lenox
DUI CRASH: Bryan E. Hammond, 36, 300 block of Eastgate Court, New Lenox, was arrested July 5 and subsequently charged with drunken driving after accelerating through the gate of a car wash and into a ditch in the 1700 block of East Lincoln Highway, police said.
GAMBLING BURGLARY: Four males used sledge hammers to smash into the Zin Club, 2461 Joliet Highway, break into video slot machines and then flee to Interstate 80, where they ran away from the rolling getaway vehicle abandoned on the shoulder, police said.
Oak Lawn
IDENTITY FRAUD: Melissa D. Whitton, 48, 9500 block of 51st Avenue, Oak Lawn, was arrested June 6 and subsequently charged with fraudulent possession of an identification card after an officer recovered a driver’s license with her photo but someone else’s name and birth date during a stop at 96th Street and 54th Avenue, police said.
VIOLENT OFFENDER: Steve Birgans, 62, Chicago, was arrested June 4 during a stop in the 10200 block of Cicero Avenue and charged with failing to register annually as a violent offender against youth, police said. Birgans, convicted in Cook County court of unlawfully restraining a 12-year-old when he was 45, hadn’t registered since 2019, according to the Illinois violent offenders against youth registry.
AGGRAVATED SPEEDING: Jocelyn I. Santos, 28, Chicago, was arrested June 15 in the 10200 block of Cicero Avenue and subsequently charged with aggravated speeding/35+ mph after leading an officer on a mile-long pursuit that began with driving 75 mph in a 35 mph zone in the 11000 block of Cicero Avenue, police said.
Orland Park
DUI CRASH: Pawan Rishiraj, 43, 11100 block of Waters Edge Drive, Orland Park, was arrested June 22 and subsequently charged with drunken driving, failing to reduce speed to avoid a collision, improper lane use and leaving after his vehicle struck a tree in that block, police said.
DUI CRASH: Asmaa Elhalawany, 30, 16300 block of Pepperwood Trail, Orland Hills, was arrested June 30 and subsequently charged with drunken driving, failing to reduce speed to avoid a collision and improper lane use after driving into a retention pond in the 16300 block of LaGrange Road, police said.
Palos Hills
GAMBLING BURGLARY: Investigators called to Rosie’s Gaming Cafe, 10301 S. Roberts Road, early July 4 found windows smashed, several video gambling machines destroyed and three cash boxes missing, police said. Security video showed several people departing in two cars, police said.
University Park
AGGRAVATED ASSAULT: Monique Austin, 30, Chicago, appeared in Will County court July 14, charged with aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon in a vehicle, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and two counts of domestic battery, according to court records online. The charge stems from Austin’s possession of a loaded 9 mm pistol and loaded magazine June 26 in the 800 block of Sandra Drive, police said.
